Sacrifice
by Hermonthis
Summary: Ozai/Ursa - As long as he remembered, the Fire Lord always had a wife. And as long as he remembered, there was no Avatar - there was war. But times have changed now: There was an Avatar, and there was no war... and the Fire Lord no longer had a wife.


A/N: In my folders, there is an eleven-chaptered story about Ozai and Ursa in a post-series world, a story where Ursa comes back at the end of S3 before leaving again. Years later, Ozai searches for his wife on his own. This is an incarnation of those eleven chapters. And for kicks, I used Elton John song titles for themes (CD: Love Songs, 1996).

Think of these segments as drabbles and it should work out fine. The scenarios are in chronological order. (Implied Katara/Zuko)

* * *

**S A C R I F I C E**

** - The One -  
**

As long as he remembered, the Fire Lord has always had a wife.

The crown passed from one child to the next, from father to son, but there has always been two people sitting the throne at one time or another. Their names would be written in the scrolls side by side, and their names would be memorized by the children of the firenation as they recited the list of the Fire Lord and Lady in school.

And as long as he remembered, there was no Avatar. He had died with the other air benders.

And the world was at war. It always had been.

But times have changed now.

There was an Avatar.

There was no war.

And the Fire Lord had no wife.

As Ozai pondered the meaning of his life and how much time he had left in the infirmary, he knew that he doesn't want the space next to his name empty.

_oOoOo _

** - Sacrifice -  
**

He supposes twenty seven years is a long time to know a person.

And yet, he hardly knows his son at all.

'Why hasn't Zuko come to see me, Katara? Why is he hiding?'

She bows her head slightly in acknowledgement, before sitting down at the table and pouring herself some tea. It is a habit that she picked up from Zuko, who picked it up from Iroh. And now, she is teaching Fire Lord Ozai the art of drinking tea.

'He's anxious,' she replies, 'He still doesn't know how to deal with you.'

Ozai nods, though it doesn't mean very much to him at all.

He has an unusual bond with the water bender; there is a stronger connection between the young woman and him, than Ozai has with his own son. He wonders why that is so, it is his reign that killed her mother, his soldiers that tortured her people, and his daughter that killed the Avatar. Yet, she is here, wearing her grandmother's necklace, and conversing with him as if nothing could be more common.

'Does he want forgiveness?'

'No.'

'Good.'

She takes another sip of her tea.

'He's worried about the throne.' One of Ozai's eyebrows rise immediately and it seems to disappear into his high forehead.

'Explain.'

She looks calm, this young woman sitting across from him, but he knows better. He knows what she is capable of, he has heard of her bloodbending and her healing. He has seen her do it.

There is a tempest brewing, but it is not in her.

Seven years has taught Katara much about life. It has taught her to the virtue to wait, to listen, and to forgive. She has waited for the Avatar, she has listened to her calling, and she has forgiven the Fire Lord's son.

Pity those same lessons didn't extend to him as well.

'Azula wants the throne.' He barely moves at her words.

'Tell me something I don't know.'

'He wants to know who will rule after you.'

_oOoOo_

**- Don't' Let The Sun Go Down On Me -  
**

It was difficult to have an argument when only one person wanted to talk civilly. It was even harder when the other person was Azula.

'STOP STARING.' So Ozai chose to yell at his daughter instead.

She said nothing. They had been over this many times before. It was no different today.

'DO YOU WANT TO BECOME THE HEAD OF THE HOUSEHOLD NOW? DON'T YOU RESPECT YOUR FATHER ANYMORE? JUST SAY IT, AZULA, JUST SAY IT!'

Ozai's voice became louder and louder until his chest hurts him. He knows that his blood pressure is dangerously high. The doctors warned him about keeping a level head; he could trigger another heart attack.

But Azula, that little bitch, she still hasn't said anything.

Was she stupid? Was she mute? Is she so uninterested in what he had to say? Has he done all the talking and she stared at him, blank eyed, as if she were bored of his presence. For what he cannot see in her face he chalks it up to mutiny.

Rage consumes him again, and he wants to hit her.

'DO YOU WANT MY JOB, AZULA?'

The corner of her mouth rose and she arched a beautiful eyebrow at him. Yes, she was listening. She just didn't care until now.

Did she want the throne?

'No.'

A perfectly executed lie; and they both know it. She didn't want just the throne, she wanted the world.

Unfortunately, the world was no longer available. It belonged to the people now, with the Avatar as their Minister of Justice. Father had seen to that, taking the monk's side at the last moment, leaving her to defend the empire by herself.

She lost, of course.

No, the world was dead to her.

And so was her father.

In her eyes he had fallen so low that even crazy Uncle Iroh was worthy to take his place. Not that would ever happen.

But the throne would pass over him too. The title of Fire Lord would go down to Zuko. The weak, sniveling brother of hers who had his face burned off for his stupidity was welcomed back into the family with open arms.

Azula grimaced in her father's presence. How disgusting.

'DO YOU WANT MY JOB AZULA?' Stupid man, he was still yelling.

'No.'

She didn't want a sullied throne. She wanted very little to do with him. She wanted him dead.

Azula decided now it was time to let her feelings show. So she snarled at him.

'No.'

'NO?' The Fire Lord echoed and saw the beautifully painted lie on her face. He read the lines of hate, reservation, and disgust written on every part of her skin, crawling invisibly across her mouth, up her cheeks, and around her ears. Words that screamed at him:

_You shouldn't be king._

Azula laughed at her father.

_You shouldn't be king._

_oOoOo_**  
**

**- Blue Eyes -  
**

The waterbender bows her head when he approaches her, her braided hair sliding forward to rest upon her shoulders. The Fire Lord's gaze drifts over Katara; she looks good in fire nation clothing, her dark skin compliments the dark colours of her new homeland.

'You asked for me?' Is all she says, her head still bowed.

She doesn't refer to him with honorifics and she doesn't conceal the suspicion in her voice. Seven years will not take away the edge of danger between them, he is always on guard. She has become his strength as he is getting older. She is her own person and she knows where her loyalties lie. And it is that loyalty that he needs right now.

For Katara is the wife of his eldest son.

'Rise, daughter, and face me.'

His eyes meet hers, and he knows that he is in good hands.

'What is it, Ozai?'

'I know where Zuko's mother is.'

_oOoOo_

**- Your Song -  
**

At first, he is not sure whether he has come to the right town. It is small, just an obscure village near a lake. The town residents gather around in the square, wondering who would come to their land in such red splendour.

Ozai frowns. Perhaps the rhinos were a bit much for such peasant folk.

'Has anyone seen this woman?' the Captain of the guard asks, holding out a poster towards the people. Some of their eyes widen, some don't, but most of them are too offended by the red colours of the strangers.

'Do any of you know this woman?' the Captain repeats himself with a hint of urgency in his voice. It might have been fear. His credibility was at stake.

Ozai's eyes narrow at him. If they had come to the wrong town –

'That's my godmother.' A young woman answers. She is holding hands with a young man who looks surprised. It is both brave and foolish of her to speak to strangers, especially ones who haven't introduced themselves yet. The Captain's eyes immediately seek her out and ask her to come forward.

'Are you sure?'

The pretty girl wears her brown hair in a bun. Her dress is a light pink. The young man is looking at her. With a bitter pang, Ozai recognizes that look. They are in love.

'I think so. She looks very much like her.'

The Captain sighs. Perhaps they came to the right village after all.

'Can you lead me to her?'

_oOoOo_

**- Believe -  
**

It takes a week for her adjust to his sudden appearance. After all, it isn't very common to find one's husband appear at your door after fourteen years of exile.

'You did come back with Zuko and the Avatar.' He corrects her.

'Yes, but that was for an entirely different reason.' She replies.

_oOoOo_

**- Circle of Life -  
**

Things are very different in the country. Life is simpler, and yet harder. Everyone knows everyone's business, much like the inner circles of fire nation politics, and with equal weight. A wrong conversation and two families become enemies. Two months later, the matriarchs are best friends again.

Daughters learn to sing, play, and teach the young ones. They work in the rice fields and sweat under the hot sun. Sons learn how to make blades, hunt, and build houses. They break their arms when a piece of unsecured timber falls from an unfinished farmhouse.

Life is quiet, and yet busy. There is always something to do, even if no one outwardly acknowledges it. There is always entertainment: swimming contests in the lake, a birthday drink at the pub, a field trip through the forest.

The village is – quaint. The people are humble.

Something in the Fire Lord's bitter heart dies.

It is the kind of place that Ursa would love.

_oOoOo_

**- Blessed -  
**

Ozai watches Ursa go down to the water's edge. The dark blue river catches the moon, and he hides in the bushes. With one hand she gathers up her hair, with the other she reaches for the pins hidden within the folds of her dress. Twisting the dark mass into a bun, Ursa follows her ritual of inserting the clips in place, unaware of her admirer.

She bends her head forward and he sees the whiteness of her neck.

She holds the hairpins between her lips as she plucks them one by one, like petals from a daisy, and secures her brown locks.

She sits down on the ground and meditates quietly.

And Ozai watches her in silence, hating the cold breeze and the prickly bushes, cursing the uncomfortable squatting position he's reduced to as he spies on his wife.

Ursa rises, the rustle of fabric against dirt catches his ears and she sways her hands side to side in slow-growing circles. She shifts her weight forward with one foot then moves back with the other. Ozai knows this dance; it is a rudimentary kata of the firebenders, otherwise known as Lesson One. Ursa starts to move faster now, her fingers stiff against her hands as she turns her head sharply to the side.

He sees a perfect textbook example in her and his heart flows deeply with pride.

She finishes, and returns to her initial position of meditating upon the ground. She must be getting ready for Lesson Two.

Ozai wets his lips in anticipation. He can't wait to see the next one.

She rises again, her face set in concentration, and takes her stance. Her hands sway and she turns her head, but it is not the proper steps. She should be moving forward, not backward. Why is she keeps her hands in front of her, they should be at her sides ready to attack. Why is there no fire, no warmth coming from her body?

His eyes widen in fury. No! What is mockery? It's is all wrong, wrong, wrong!

Ursa finishes the kata, takes a deep breath, then sits down again, closing her eyes in meditation.

It is as if she has rehearsed this a thousand times.

And then it dawns on the Fire Lord, and the truth is awful. He clamps a firm hand over his mouth, turns his head to the side. He is so violently sick that he gags and throws up into the bush.

So, this is her secret. This is why she has been able to be stay in hiding for so long. This is how she lives in exile, holding onto this one remnant of her people – this one small fragment, because it is all she has.

Ursa has forgotten how to firebend.

_oOoOo_

**- You Can Make History (Young Again) -  
**

He holds her close to him, his arms around her shoulders, half afraid that she will run away again. Her hands are warm, so very warm. There is a small smile on her lips, and a sudden rush of elation washes over him. He doesn't repulse her, she likes being this close to him.

She hasn't looked at him like this before.

He brings one hand to his lips and kisses them over and over again, silently vowing that he will never take her for granted again. He understands her pain, he is hurting himself, and if they were together, they could heal again. He will become strong again with her by his side. They could go back to the fire nation, and she would become his queen. There are no problems now for all her mistakes have been pardoned. She doesn't have to be alone anymore.

Her hands caress his face and she kisses him deeply.

The words flow freely from his lips.

'Ursa,' he breathes, his heart singing with praise, 'Ursa – I forgive you.'

Suddenly he is kissing air.

'What?'

Her question is so soft that if it weren't for their closeness, he would have missed it altogether.

'I forgive you,' he repeats. 'Come back with me and you don't have to run away anymore.'

Ursa's eyes turn cold, and she withdraws her hands from his body, leaving him wanting for more. Her face hardens and she steps away from him. They have been through this conversation before, and still he persists. Who says that she is running away? This is her home and she will stay here.

'Oh, come on,' he smiles at her, shrugging his shoulders, 'Do you really want to live here when you can come back with me?'

_oOoOo_

**- No Valentines -  
**

The engagement was cancelled.

With tears streaming down her face, Cio-Cio San runs from her parent's and heads straight towards Ursa's house. The older woman opens the door quickly and ushers her in. The one who should have made her happy has suddenly broken her heart.

'What is it, my butterfly?'

'He's leaving,' she sobs. 'He's leaving me to see the world.' The girl renders an agonizing cry when she is enveloped in comforting arms. A voice tells her that it's not her fault, her sweetheart will not depart, and he will not leave the girl he has loved since the age of three.

Cio-Cio San is not a pretty crier. Her pink dress is stained with watermarks and her nose is all swollen and red.

'It's all right, dear. Young men sometimes think that they have to prove themselves before marrying, and sometimes they get silly ideas in their heads. It will pass. His parents and your parents will talk him out of it.' She envelops the distressed girl within the folds of her dress.

Butterfly shakes her head.

'No, he won't.' She takes a shaky breath, inhaling the warmth of her godmother. 'He's thought things though for months now. He told me. He said that he's been speaking with your husband.'

And suddenly Ursa's kind face cracks with anger.

_oOoOo_

**- Daniel -  
**

She wonders what ever possessed her to marry this man.

'Ursa, open the door!'

Ignoring his repetitive calls, she puts down her book and heads towards the kitchen. There is a kettle on the fire, but it isn't whistling yet. Outside the door, the Fire Lord still knocks.

'Ursa!'

Such a stubborn man. She can only forgive for so much, and right now her supply has run dry. This time he has crossed the line, gone beyond redemption. For once, it is not just her family, not just her banishment and her son's scar; he has disgraced himself in front of the whole village.

Ozai ruined her goddaughter's wedding, corrupted Cio-Cio San's fiancé, insulted her cozy home in her presence – he has committed so many social infractions it was a surprise the other men haven't run him out of town yet.

'Ursa!'

And now he's banging on her door in the middle of the night.

He is a pain in the arse.

She yanks the door open and addresses him forcefully, with the obvious intent that he remain out in the cold while she stays in her pathetic little wooden-house-that-was-not-a-palace.

'What do you want, Ozai?'

'Ursa,' he breathes, 'I want to talk to you.'

'We have nothing to talk about.' She quickly moves to shut the door.

In eagerness, he rushes forward and places his hands against the wood, pushing back to keep the entrance open just a little bit. He understands why she won't speak to him, to even look at him. But he is her husband, and if he has to stay outside all night, he will speak to her.

'I want to make it up to you.'

'Go away, Fire Lord.' Behind the door, she frowns and leans against him with all her weight. 'We want nothing from you.'

_oOoOO_

**- Candle In The Wind -  
**

He knocks on her door.

At first, she ignores it and turns over in her bed. The candle by her bedside has burned out long ago.

He knocks again.

And she still ignores it.

'Ursa?' he calls to her, oblivious of the time of night. 'Ursa, open the door.'

Stupid man, does he know what time it is?

Gathering a shawl around her shoulders, she slips her feet into some shoes and yanks the front door open. She gasps.

'Ursa, we found coming from the river – he was clutching his heart –' the villager explains as Ursa quickly ushers them inside her home and panics over her husband's body, '- we think he might have had a stroke.'

_oOoOo_

**- Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word -  
**

Ozai wakes up and realizes that once again, he's in Ursa's house. He also realizes that his hands are bandaged and his mouth is in a gag. The villagers have tied him up again.

'How are you feeling?' she asks, placing her book onto her lap as she watches over him.

'Nhgggh' is all he says, rolling his eyes furiously at her. She laughs softly.

The Fire Lord's eyes glare at her, and she covers her chuckles with a hand, completely adverse to his methods of intimidation. Instead, she marks a page in her book, closes it, and scoots over to the bedside.

'You had a stroke last night,' she beings softly, 'You almost didn't make it if it weren't for Che.'

Ozai rolled his eyes further into his head. Yeah, he remembered that.

'They brought you to me before fetching the healer.' His eyes widen in surprise, he knows how much she hated having late night visitors.

'We had to tie you down as the medicine was being administered. You were out of control. Your hands were burning and the villagers were afraid that you were going to hurt somebody.'

_oOoOo_

**- Can You Feel The Love Tonight -  
**

Ozai is waiting by the river book, his hands behind his back, and listens as she comes near.

'Hello, Ozai.'

'Hello, Ursa.'

The Fire Lord is all packed for the trip. He is just waiting for the convoy to pick him up before he heads back to the fire nation. He will be going alone.

'Do you have everything?' she asks, coming up beside him and picking up a smooth pebble to throw into the water. They watch as the stone skips once – twice – six times before sinking into the river.

He laughs bitterly at her question. No, he does not have everything. How could he? Ursa has relinquished the status of the Fire Lord's wife.

'Your house is cleansed of my presence entirely,' he jokes cruelly. He turns his head slightly to the side so he can peek at her through his peripheral vision. Her head lowers at his words, but her eyes are dry.

'Will you miss me?' he asks.

Ursa smiles to herself, already knowing her answer.

'No.'

Now it is his turn to lower his head. Her voice touches him gently.

'Ozai. I won't miss the Fire Lord. I miss my husband.'

_oOoOo_

**- Someone Saved My Life Tonight -  
**

Katara lies in bed with the baby in her arms. The other woman smiles in curious wonder, and approaches closer when the waterbender quietly beckons her to.

'Was it hard?'

'Yes.' She says.

'Are you proud?'

'Yes.'

'May I hold him?'

Katara places her firstborn child into Cio-Cio San's gentle arms, and lies back upon the pillows, making her sore back more comfortable.

There is a knock on the door.

'Come in.'

Ursa enters the room, still wearing her earth kingdom clothing. She brings her hands to her mouth, and lets out a girlish squeal when she sees the child. Hurrying over to the bedside, the older woman touches the her cheek and says,

'I'm sorry I wasn't able to make it in time. We just got through the gates several minutes ago.'

Katara nods in understanding. Sending messages to the earth kingdom was easy. It was the traveling time between nations that made it difficult, especially when the one requesting Ursa's presence was nine months pregnant. It was lucky that Butterfly and her husband happened to be vacationing in the palace to give her female support. It really didn't matter since her son was born premature.

Just like Zuko.

There is a shadow in the doorway, and the waterbender's eyes widen when she sees who it is.

'Ozai!'

* * *

**NOTES:**

_Cio-Cio San: _Japanese for 'Butterfly'. She is the titular character in the opera 'Madame Butterfly' by Giacomo Puccini. Lovely music. Tragic storyline.


End file.
